Arguments
by SilverLinedApathy
Summary: Seto Kaiba could be too defensive and combative sometimes, especially when he found himself caught up in an argument. Rather than turning away his long term girlfriend, conflict somehow managed to help open up communication between them and steer their relationship forward. KaibaOC
1. Chapter 1

Seto Kaiba was a very busy man. He had a multi-billion dollar international company to run, and a younger brother to watch over, plus the staff that ran his home to oversee. That meant he didn't always have the time to pick up on certain things in his personal life. Because of this, he never really noticed her at Domino High. Rather, it took him until he was twenty and they quite literally ran into each other at a coffee shop. It took him another year and a half to notice his growing attraction towards her and ask her out on a date. It then took an additional several months to realize that expensive outings made her uncomfortable and to correct that by changing for the simpler. Two years later, he asked her to move in with him and Mokuba. Now, after living together for a year, the busy twenty-five year old finally began to notice something odd about Miyuki.

Every so often, when he finally dragged his exhausted body home from the office, he would pass by the TV room to see the auburn haired woman curled up on the white sofa, watching a movie and crying quietly. He had never seen her cry before, so it really surprised him the first time he noticed. As the behavior repeated itself every few weeks or so, the young CEO began to notice something else that was strange. The movies she was watching weren't always sad.

Most nights, he would just pause to observe for a moment, then shrug it off and head to their bedroom to go over the next day's schedule before she joined him. One of the things that made their relationship work so well was that they largely coexisted. He worked his long days at the office, and she was getting her PhD in clinical psychology and working as a research assistant at a lab in downtown Domino. He didn't know a ton about her job, admittedly, and she had no interest in the business and fiscal details of his job. Of course, he cared about whether she was stressed out about her classes and dissertation, and she texted him throughout the day to see if he was eating and how his stress levels were. They dedicated, at minimum, Friday nights to each other, whether they went out or to stayed in. Some of Miyuki's friends teased her about how scheduled and separate they were, saying they were like an old couple, but it worked for both of them. He didn't have the time to be constantly involved with her, and she didn't like the constant attention anyways.

But one night, he finally decided to put this strange behavior into the "together" category, and stepped into the room. His eyes roamed over her form curled into the corner of the couch. A tear slipped slowly down her cheek from her violet eyes. He glanced at the TV, his confusion mounting. There sat his girlfriend, crying over an animated children's movie. And at a love song, no less. She didn't get all mushy about stuff like this, yet another reason they worked so well. He wasn't very good at emotional social interactions, and her collected, laid back attitude meant he didn't have to be.

She noticed him then, and sniffed, "Seto, you're finally home. How was your day?"

"Fine," he answered absently, still watching the movie to see what on earth had her upset.

On screen were a blonde girl and a guy with brown hair sitting in a boat and singing a love song amidst floating paper lanterns. "And at last I see the light, And it's like the fog has lifted, And at last I see the light, And it's like the sky is new, And it's warm and real and bright, And the world has somehow shifted, All at once everything looks different, Now that I see you…"

"Miyu," he said slowly, "What're you watching?"

"Tangled. It's like Rapunzel," she explained, swiping at her slightly damp cheek.

"So… why are you upset?"

"I'm not," she said, blinking in confusion.

He scoffed and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I've never seen you cry except for when you watch these movies."

"What?"

He sighed in annoyance and said, "Every once in a while when I get home, you're in here watching a movie and crying. It's bizarre. Especially when the movies aren't particularly upsetting."

"Okay, number one, I sometimes shed a tear or two when I'm happy. Number two, you've seen me crying before and this is the first time you've cared enough to find out why?" she asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Seto instantly regretted not keeping his curiosity at bay. He shifted uncomfortably and said, "I figured it would be better to let you do your own thing."

He knew that wasn't an answer that pleased her from the way her lips pursed and her eyes roamed back to the television. With another sigh, he took a seat on the couch beside her. The song was winding down, for which Kaiba was vaguely thankful for. As the characters leaned in for a kiss, Miyuki turned to him and said, "By the way, if you had asked any of the other times you'd seen me in here over the past year, you'd know this is what I do when I have my period to take my mind off my cramps. And I admittedly get a little more emotional than usual."

Ice blue eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably again as she squeezed herself tighter into the corner of the couch, glaring at the TV rather than seeing it. After a pause, he asked, "Do you… need anything?"

"No."

They sat in a tense silence, then, neither paying the movie any attention. He had never considered that aspect of living with a woman other than it meant there was a drawer in their shared bathroom vanity that he didn't touch. Hesitantly, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," she snapped. "I have a hormone imbalance that makes my period way worse than normal. That's why I was on birth control long before I met you. It eases my symptoms a lot, but there's always one day where my cramps and nausea are really bad, and that's the day I like to watch a movie while I wait for you to come home."

"I didn't realize that," he frowned.

"It's fine. You're busy."

There was less bite to her voice, but he frowned nonetheless. "You know there's nothing I can do about that."

"I know that; I knew that going into this. But that doesn't mean it never bothers me," she said, turning to face him. "I love having my own life, but I don't like that you don't know certain things about me, or that you don't notice things."

His pride wounded, he automatically retorted, "Sorry I never thought to ask if you had a hormone imbalance."

"It's not just that," she muttered. "I don't want to fight about this right now."

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't ask about the movie thing sooner. If something else is bothering you, tell me."

The auburn haired woman merely sighed and curled into a tighter ball. She felt his eyes on her for a moment before he said, "I may not notice everything, but I do notice things. Like how you curl up when you're upset about something. And how you know my favorite color is blue, so keep your nails painted some shade of blue. I know you aren't really into morning sex, but you don't really let on because you know my schedule doesn't leave us many opportunities.

"I'm not a good guy. I only know how to be a businessman and a brother, and even the latter is hard for me. But I do notice some things, even if it takes a while."

"I know you notice things, Seto," she muttered, moving so her posture was more open. "I'm sorry for getting upset with you."

He shook his head and said, "Don't be."

"I am, though. I know you have an insane amount on your plate. I should be more understanding."

"You don't deserve anything less just because of my life circumstances," he muttered.

Miyu peered up at him from beneath her lashes, a nervous look in her eyes. "I worry about you, Seto. The way you work yourself… It's not a sustainable lifestyle. You're going to work yourself into all sorts of health problems and possibly an early death."

"Don't worry about me."

"I can't just not worry. You're only twenty five and there are days where you wouldn't eat anything at all if I didn't make you. You rarely get a full eight hours of sleep. You haven't given yourself even a day off, let alone a vacation, in I don't even know how long. That isn't healthy." She paused for a moment, as if hesitant to continue. "Mokuba has been asking for a couple years to be given a more substantial role at Kaiba Corp. He wants to be more involved, and it would ease your workload. Why won't you let him?"

He glared at her for a moment, before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. Violet eyes watched him carefully. Slowly, he turned to look at her again and said, "Because he doesn't have to. He could do whatever he wanted rather than join the cutthroat, no bullshit business world. Can you picture him trying to handle a press conference or making a business deal with a bunch of business moguls?"

"No, but I can picture him behind the scenes leading the advertising department, or crunching numbers. I can picture him organizing meetings, press conferences. You are the face of Kaiba Corp, and the power behind it, and I'm not suggesting that you try and share that role with your brother. That's not what he wants, either."

They sat in silence for a long stretch, eyes locked. Finally, Kaiba shook his head and said, "I still think he should pursue something that fits him better."

"Seto, have you ever thought about what you'll do with Kaiba Corp someday? Eventually, you're going to be old and unable to do this, assuming your inane work habits don't kill you before senior citizenship. If you don't even want your brother involved in the business, I can't imagine you'd be any more willing to hand it over to your son or daughter."

"Unless this is your bizarre way of telling me that you're pregnant, that isn't a pressing concern."

"Well, we're gonna have kids someday. Hopefully after I'm done my dissertation. And what I'm saying is, what do you plan to do? If you can't reconcile how you feel about Mokuba voluntarily getting more involved in your family's business, how could you leave the company to your child? Would you sell?"

He rolled his eyes and reiterated, "I don't have to think about this for quite a while."

"But you kind of do," she said. "Learning to let go even just a tiny bit of control now would be good for your health, good for Mokuba, good for when we do have kids so their father isn't a stranger to the,, good for eventually passing on ownership, and it would be good for us. Now and in the future."

The young man leaned back and heaved a sigh. "If I'd known this conversation was going to be so heavy, I would've just gone to bed when I got home."

"Heaven forbid we talk about something serious," Miyuki snapped. "If I'd known you avoid me when I'm upset and didn't want to have real conversations, I would probably be watching a movie in my old apartment."

"What, are you going to break up with me because I don't want to have this conversation?" he scoffed.

The young woman huffed in annoyance and stood from the couch. "I'm not in any mood to deal with you attitude right now. Forget coming to bed tonight. I'll bring some of your clothes down to one of the guest rooms."

"Sweet dreams," he called after her facetiously, watching her disappear from the room. The CEO shifted so his long body was stretched out across the length of the white couch, his arms crossed behind his head.

"Seto, were you guys fighting?" Dark blue eyes moved to the doorway, finding Mokuba leaning against the wall. He made a noncommittal noise, and his brother asked, "What about? You guys never fight."

"A few things," he answered vaguely.

"You wanna elaborate on that?"

"No."

Mokuba frowned and glanced at the TV. "Oh, she's not feeling well today?"

Kaiba shot up on the couch, a baffled expression on his face. "How did you know that?"

Looking surprised at his brother's reaction, Mokuba said, "Because she was in here watching a Disney movie?"

"But how did you know that meant she didn't feel well?"

"She always watches a movie, usually Disney, when she isn't feeling well."

Seto groaned and said, "I think you know my girlfriend better than I do."

"No," Mokuba said. "I know some stuff about her you may not because we're together in the house more often, but you definitely know her in a really different way than I do."

"I'd hope so."

"You know what I mean," Mokuba rolled his eyes. "So what were you arguing about?"

The older Kaiba sat up and said, "Well, first about how I haven't asked her about these weird movie nights until now. Then about our different opinions on your involvement in Kaiba Corp. And then about our communication in general."

"What did she say?"

Seto lifted a brow and asked, "Why?"

"I'm curious. And maybe talking about it will help you in some way."

He gave his brother a slightly more detailed recap of their conversation and waited for him to say something. When Mokuba did speak up, he asked, "You know she has valid points, right? Bro, your lifestyle isn't healthy for you physically or mentally, and it isn't good for your relationship with Miyuki."

"We work because we aren't overly involved in each other," he argued.

Mokuba frowned and said, "I know, but don't you think maybe you could be more involved without being overly involved? Shouldn't you want to know her weird little quirks like the movie thing?"

"It's not that I don't want to spend more time with her. It's that I don't have the time to do it, and she needs to understand that."

"But if you'd let me do more for the company, you'd have more time for Miyuki," he reasoned. Then, before his brother could protest, Mokuba continued, "I know you think that isn't what's best for me, and that it isn't what I want, but this company has been a part of life since we were adopted, too. You got the worst parts of it, and I know that you want to protect me from those things, but you don't need to anymore. I'm nineteen and I've been taking classes at university for a year. I'm not as qualified as you, obviously, but I'm working on it and I want to learn how to fill my role at the company that's changed both of our lives so much."

Seto considered his brother for a moment, his chest tightening. His brother was an adult now. He wasn't the ten year old boy who people kept kidnapping, the boy who followed him around and did tech jobs for him. Their relationship had always been different. They were very close as brothers, surely, but Seto had been his guardian, too. He was caught between feeling like he didn't want his brother to grow up anymore, to remain under his protection, and pride for the man he was becoming. And he was nineteen; Seto had been CEO for several years at that age. Finally, he nodded. "We'll talk about what you would like your role to be tomorrow afternoon."

Mokuba smiled widely and said, "Thanks, Seto. Now, maybe you should go reconcile with Mikyuki."

Slowly, the elder Kaiba nodded. He stood and clapped his brother on the shoulder in thanks. Mokuba smiled in understanding. Seto left the room, making a quick trip to the kitchen before heading to the bedroom he shared with his girlfriend. When he slowly pushed open the door to the room, he wasn't surprised to see Miyuki was still awake, sitting up in bed with Cinnamon, her corgi, in her lap. She looked up from scratching between the happy dog's ears. He held back the comment about not liking her dog in their bed, instead crossing the room and approaching her. Cinnamon, as if sensing her owner's anger, looked at him with a light growl. Miyuki didn't chastise her, letting him know her anger hadn't subsided at all.

"Here," he said, offering her a plate which held a brownie.

"Thanks," she said shortly, accepting the plate and placing it on her nightstand.

Gazing warily at the over-protective corgi, he asked, "Can we talk?"

"Fine."

He shrugged off his suit jacket, placing it back in his closet before sitting on his side of the bed. Cinnamon yipped at him, and he dared not move any closer. "I spoke with Mokuba, and you two have convinced me. If he wants a more significant role at the company, then I'll give him one. It will be beneficial for me, and for us."

"That'll be good," she nodded, though there was still iciness to her voice.

He nodded. "We're going to hammer out the details tomorrow afternoon." She merely nodded and he asked, "Do you want to get lunch before I meet with him?"

"I dunno," she said, patting her dog affectionately.

"Miyu, I'm sorry, alright? I got too used to our separate schedules, and I got lazy. It was easier to go to bed and avoid conversations, and I took the easy way out. I'm in the wrong."

"Seto, I understand. But I don't want to keep falling into this kind of rut. We're young, and this is our time to really just be us together before we start a family and-"

She broke off when a small grin turned her boyfriend's lips. He explained, "I'm happy you see this relationship as being so long term, despite my flaws."

"Of course I do," she said gently. "I have flaws, too, and you deal with them. I know it annoys you that I insist on doing my own laundry despite there being a maid here, and that it bothers you that I won't drive any of the many cars you've offered to me. And I know I'm not the ideal woman to bring to the business parties you have to go to, since I'm so awkward around rich people. But I love you, and can't see my future without you, and I hope you can't envision one without me."

"It's not a future I'd desire," he said simply.

Miyuki picked Cinnamon up off her lap, offering him the tan and white canine. He took her reluctantly, setting her in his own lap as his girlfriend turned to the brownie he'd brought her. Kaiba idly scratched behind the dog's ear, causing the dog to turn and lick his hand before returning to her original position to wait expectantly for him to continue. As the auburn haired woman ate the dessert, the young CEO asked, "You know that I do love you, right?"

"Of course," she replied with a soft smile. She placed the empty plate on her nightstand, noticing that he looked suddenly lost in thought.

"I hadn't planned on doing this now, or like this, but… We should get married."

Miyuki blinked in surprise before she dissolved into laughter. Seto's cheeks flushed brilliantly and he glared at her. Cinnamon looked up at him, curious as to why the scratching had stopped, but he didn't care. He opened his mouth to spew something rude, when Miyuki said, "I'm surprised at the timing, but that was the most Seto Kaiba proposal I could've imagined."

"What's that supposed to mean? I said I hadn't planned this," he spat.

"I meant because it wasn't even a question," she replied with a giggle. He huffed and rolled his eyes, and she chuckled. A grin on her lips, she answered, "Seto, I'd like it if we got married."

"Okay, then we'll do it. When?"

"When do you want to?"

"I don't care. Don't women usually have all the details planned years in advance? I can guarantee anything you want for your dream wedding."

Miyuki shook her head. "No, it's not just my wedding. It's yours, too. My only condition is that I don't want something too extravagant. You know I'd be uncomfortable at some like… several hundred thousand dollar thing."

He couldn't help the small smile that turned up his lips. "Yeah, I know. Okay. How about next spring? Things will have calmed down at work after the post-holiday rush."

"Okay," Miyuki nodded. "Can Cinnamon be the flower girl?"

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged.

With a mischievous smile, the young woman said, "I think we may need to get her a brother so we'll have a ring bearer."

Seto raised a skeptical brow. "Or we could keep the fur all over the house to a minimum. Besides, we have a hard enough time trying to keep the occupancy of this bed to two."

"But maybe if Cinnamon had another dog around, she wouldn't want to sleep with us!" Miyuki reasoned.

Seto let out a sigh and said, "This sounds like a discussion for later."

"Fine," she allowed. "Shall we talk more about all this tomorrow at lunch?"

"Sure," he assented. He gently picked Cinnamon up and set her on the floor, ordering, "Go lay down in your bed."

He was surprised when she actually listened, trotting over to her plush bed in the corner of their room, circling it a few times, before dropping down on it. Miyuki scooted closer, carefully untying his tie and slipping it from around his neck.

"You know," she said thoughtfully as she began unbuttoning his shirt. "The only bad thing about this is that I had always planned on having screw-your-brains-out engagement sex. But my stupid period…"

"I don't care if you don't," he shrugged, letting his eyes wander to the loose neckline of her top.

"No way; you know I can't stand being touched when I'm cramping." She winked flirtatiously and said, "Of course, I always seem to feel extra hot under the collar once all the symptoms are gone."

He smirked and said, "I'll ask again in a few days then."

"Perfect," she smiled.

Kaiba tossed his shirt over the side of the bed, soon dropping his pants as well. He shifted and pulled the comforter down, revealing that Miyuki wore her favorite black sweatpants and a black sports bra. Miyuki groaned, quickly gathering the comforter around her waist despite how it made it harder for her now fiancé to climb into bed with her.

"Seriously?" he lifted a brow.

"You know I'm self-conscious on a good day, but today I'm so bloated…"

He scoffed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. "There's no reason to be self-conscious."

She smiled at his usual method of complimenting her in a roundabout way. "Perhaps next month we could watch a movie together."

"Sure. We can do that."

"With our two corgis?"

He sighed. "We'll see."

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! All views, favorites, follows and reviews are sincerely appreciated. The next part is written and in the editing stages, so this should be complete soon.

Also, I own nothing, obviously.


	2. Chapter 2

"This is why I didn't want you," Kaiba snarled, glaring down at the brown and white corgi at his feet. He sat next to a new stain on the bedroom carpet. "Two months and you're not even a little bit house-trained still."

He turned and left the room, heading for the cleaning supplies closet. The puppy followed at his heels, occasionally tripping him up in his haste to not be left behind. Kaiba got the supplies he needed, then made his way back to the bedroom, stumbling over the dog on his way. When he reentered the room, it was almost like Cinnamon was mocking him, watching him from her perch curled up in her bed. He knelt down, shaking the bottle of stain remover and cursing the fact that his maids had gone home for the evening. The tiny puppy ran in excited circles, sure that this was the start of a new game.

His naturally low patience had officially run out, and he snapped, "Clove, go lay the hell down!"

The small dog froze, his ears flattening against his head. He looked at him with big, innocent brown eyes and slowly padded away, curling into a ball on the floor a few feet away. He made tiny, high-pitched whining noises as the CEO scrubbed at the carpet angrily. The whimpering and crying continued, prompting Cinnamon to get up and leave the room. For once, she and Seto were on the same page. His frayed nerves were only furthered agitated by the incessant noise.

When he was finally satisfied that the stain had been lifted, he stood and went to put the cleaning solution away, thankful that he could walk safely down the hallway. On the way back to his bedroom, he checked his phone, hoping to see a message from Miyuki announcing her impending arrival. She had been working late at the university a lot lately, trying to make good headway on her dissertation before wedding planning became a more pressing focus. No message was waiting on his phone, however, and he trudged moodily back into his room. Clove was still crying, watching him with sad, pleading eyes.

He managed to ignore the dog as he stripped out of his clothes and climbed into bed. However, the crying still filled the air, and those eyes still had not left him. He groaned in defeat and said, "Come on up, Clove."

Immediately happy, the puppy stood and ran towards the bed, jumping off the ground. Kaiba sighed, hearing the thud of the puppy hitting the side of the mattress, having not yet figured out that Miyuki had convinced him to get a miniature set of stairs for the dogs to climb up since they were so short. He got out of bed, moodily walking over to the dog and lifting him up onto the bed. By the time he walked around the side and moved to slide back into the bed, Clove was already happily walking circles on his pillow. He gently pushed the dog to the side and climbed into bed.

The CEO grabbed his laptop off his nightstand and opened it, intending to look over his schedule for the next day and to check on some stocks. Hopefully by then Miyuki would be on her way home. The screen came to life and he dragged his index finger over the track pad, navigating his programs. Only a few minutes passed before a furry paw had found its way onto his keyboard. Sapphire eyes narrowed at the corgi attached to the paw, then twitched when the puppy hauled his entire body onto his laptop.

"Clove!" he spat, and the crying began again as the dog retreated. Once again seething, Kaiba glared at his computer as he finished his work for the day. As he was finishing up, he felt a wet nose pushing against his elbow. He briefly closed his eyes in irritation, trying his best to ignore the furry attention whore by his side. It proved to be nearly impossible as a tiny head finally pushed its way beneath his arm. Seto shut down his computer, moving to put it back on his nightstand. He grabbed his phone and was disappointed to see he still had no messages.

A glance at the clock told him it wasn't really late enough to justify going to sleep just yet. The only reasons he had chosen to camp out in his bedroom while he waited for Miyuki to come home were that Mokuba had a girl over watching a movie in the TV room, and he was hoping to get a little bit of action himself once his fiancée got home. But that didn't seem to be in his near future, so he was at a loss for what to do.

An impatient yelp broke through his train of thought, and he glared down at the dog who was gazing up at him expectantly. He snapped, "Now what?"

Somehow, his words were construed as an invitation and the corgi took the liberty of stepping over his arm and climbing up onto his stomach. Clove even did a few circular laps of his torso before laying down. The CEO merely watching in surprise. Blue eyes were locked on brown. Eventually, Kaiba said, "There must be something wrong with you. I hate you, yet you're more attached to me than Miyuki or Cinnamon."

The dog picked his head up and began licking his chest. Kaiba scowled, gently pushing the dog's face aside so he would stop. It didn't work, and the brunet sighed. He began scratching behind Clove's ears, knowing it would distract him from his kisses. It worked, but now Kaiba had a new problem; he was stuck patting the dog to keep him out of trouble. Shaking his head, the CEO lamented, "Why did I agree to adopt you?"

Well, the answer to that was actually pretty simple. It was to make his fiancée happy. She loved Cinnamon, and had wanted her dog to have a sibling. So he had reluctantly agreed to the annoying little shit now living the good life on his torso. Kaiba laid down fully in bed, not caring that he was jostling the puppy laying atop him. Clove didn't mind, though, and in fact seemed to enjoy it as if they were playing.

"You're so stupid," Seto complained, though his fingers continued scratching the brown fur. The corgi just blinked at him, his ears flattening contentedly.

His phone vibrated, and he picked it up hastily. He frowned, seeing it was a message from Mokuba. It read, "I love these dogs, but they're annoying as hell sometimes."

"What're you talking about?" he typed back.

After another pause, he received an answer, "Cinnamon is too cute for her own good. Can't even cop a feel with her around."

"You have the good dog. Don't complain."

"If I had the annoying one, she wouldn't mind me kicking him out and getting back to business."

"Kicking this little shit out of a room isn't easy."

"Sure it is. You just have to tell him you're home and he takes off running around the house looking for you."

The elder Kaiba scowled and typed, "The dog can't be that stupid. I doubt he's so easy to get rid of, he's so determined to get attention."

"Nah, bro, he only really cares about your attention." Seto glared at the message from his brother and then frowned when another message popped up, reading, "Let me guess, he's with you now, isn't he?"

"Maybe."

"Cinnamon finally got bored and left, so I'll see you in the morning. Night bro!"

"Don't defile my couch," Seto replied, nose scrunching in distaste before setting his phone back down on the nightstand. It then came to his attention that clove had slowly but surely wiggled his way up his torso and was now curled up on his chest, nearly nose to nose with him. "Why won't you leave me alone?"

The dog replied by dragging his tongue up the CEO's cheek a few times. Kaiba sighed and slowly trailed his fingers through the soft fur on the puppy's back. He thought about the meeting he had later in the week with one of Kaiba Corp's biggest partners, and about his meeting with his tech department on progress for the new software to improve duel disk performance. His thoughts eventually turned toward the interview he and Miyuki were to attend the following weekend with what was one of the only consistently reputable news networks, in his experience. They had gotten engaged three months prior, but because it hadn't been planned, it had taken him a couple weeks to find a ring he was sure Miyuki would like. And she'd loved it, for which he had been glad. But in the two months or so that she'd been wearing it, the media had picked up on it, spreading headlines about their engagement and criticizing the ring. "Billionare CEO Skimps on Ring" and "Kaiba Corp Princess or Pauper?" were just some of the headlines. Still others were along the lines of, "True Love or Business Move?," as some tabloids speculated that he was only getting married because he had reached the age when marriage was expected and that having a wide would allow him to better fit in with the older, married businessmen at formal engagements.

A rough tongue on his cheek brought him back to reality, and he looked at the dog that had moved on to nuzzling his cold nose against his chin. He felt the anger ebb away, and he began scratching at his pointed ears again. He wondered, "Are dogs really that empathetic?"

He watched the dog lean into his touch, and nearly smiled. Kaiba settled more comfortably on his pillows, and continued to scratch Clove's ears. He found the warm weight on his chest was actually sort of comforting, and he thought optimistically of the opportunity to clear up the rumors at their interview. She would explain that the simple white gold band and modestly sized diamond were exactly to her simple tastes. He would throw in a joke about offering her a few more rings to make up for the low karat weight. Then they'd talk about how they'd been together for almost four years, and that was a long time if it was just for business perks. Then they'd finish up, go out to lunch, and then maybe start thinking about where they wanted to have the wedding.

Clove shifted slightly, and the CEO thought that maybe they could also look for a bowtie for their furry little ring bearer, and a matching headband or something for Cinnamon. Looking at the dog and fighting drowsiness, Kaiba said, "I don't even think getting you two down the aisle will be a problem. You're so stupid and in love with me you'll rush to get to me and piss me off. And Cinnamon is a good dog and will come when Miyu calls her. No leashes and all that shit, either. You'll do that stupid thing where you shove yourself between my legs and just lay there, and Cinnamon will just sit and stay if Miyu tells her to. You should take some tips from your sister."

Clove just laid his head down and nudged Kaiba's wrist with his nose, urging him to continue scratching. The brunet shook his head and sighed, though he found he didn't really mind now that the puppy was calm. And it was certainly nicer to have Clove cuddling him than tripping him.

* * *

Miyuki shut the front door behind her, locking it and putting in the pin number on the control panel next to the door to set the security system. She looked around the dark hallway with a frown; Seto hadn't texted her back when she said she was heading home. She supposed he may have gone to bed as it was pretty late, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The auburn haired woman made her way down several hallways, passing the kitchen on her way. As she walked by, she heard a noise behind her and turned to find Cinnamon trotting towards her. With a smile, she squatted down and pet the corgi affectionately.

"Hey, cutie," she cooed. "Where's your daddy and brother?"

She stood back up, and the dog followed at her side as she continued making her way to her bedroom. She grimaced when she passed by the TV room, hearing the unmistakable sounds of two horny teens inside. A few minutes later, she was pushing her bedroom door open softly. Cinnamon slipped through as she peeked around the door. A wide grin spread across her lips at the sight that met her eyes. Her fiancé was indeed asleep, an arm around the sleeping puppy on his chest. They looked adorable, and she couldn't help but giggle softly. Cinnamon climbed the stairs at the foot of the bed, the movement catching the attention of the puppy. He blinked sleepily for a moment before perking up at the sight of Cinnamon walking circles on the comforter. He yipped happily and leaped from Seto's chest, surprising the young CEO into consciousness.

"The hell is wrong with you, stupid dog?" he groaned sleepily, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes. When he opened them again, he was pleasantly surprised to see his fiancée wiggling out of her dress pants. Sapphire eyes watched as she shed her blouse as well. She turned and threw the garment at him as punishment for staring, something she wasn't very fond of, but he merely tossed the shirt aside and watched her pull on a baggy t-shirt. "How was your day?"

"Busy," she said, and he could hear her exhaustion in her voice as she began to brush her long auburn locks. "Yours?"

"Not bad. This little shit made a mess of the carpet again."

"He's a puppy," she pointed out patiently. She made her way to her side of the bed as he grumbled. Sliding in beside him, she assured, "He'll get the hang of it."

"I'd rather he smarten up sooner than later."

"And yet, you two looked pretty comfortable together when I came in. Stop acting like you hate him when he's actually grown on you."

"He hasn't," Seto asserted, though even he could hear the defensiveness in his voice. Changing the subject, he asked, "Is Mokuba still up?"

Reading between the lines of his question, the young woman nodded. "Let's sequester ourselves in here for the night."

"Gladly." The CEO picked Clove up and set him at the foot of the bed with Cinnamon before sliding in closer to his fiancée. She slid her legs across his, tangling their limbs together, and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Are you working late again tomorrow?"

"More than likely." Catching his expression, she said, "Consider it karma for always working late the first year I lived here."

He frowned and said, "Am I ever going to live that down?"

"Eventually," she said. "Admit you love Clove and maybe that day will come sooner."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and said, "It took me three years of knowing you to say I loved you. We've had the furball for not quite three months. And I don't like him."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged.

"I will," he answered somewhat haughtily. "Are we done talking? I missed you tonight."

It was Miyuki's turn to roll her eyes. That was his roundabout way of initiating sex. Seto Kaiba, ever the romantic. She nodded nonetheless, used to his abysmal wooing skills. Leaning in, she enveloped his lips with hers. His arm around her retracted a bit, his hand resting on her hip and pulling her in closer. Impatient as usual, his tongue had soon parted the seam of her lips. His hand had just settled on her breast when something wet pressed against elbow.

Kaiba pulled away and turned to find Clove worming his way beneath his arm. Miyuki laughed at the puppy's antics, clearly not even a fraction as upset at the interruption as Seto was. The CEO barely held in a growl, but snapped, "Mokuba was right; you dogs are just little cockblocks."

"Don't be mean to them," Miyuki scolded, affectionately petting Cinnamon, who had joined them to assure her brother wouldn't get all of the attention. "They love you, that's all."

"Well, perhaps we should make part of the foyer a place for your dogs to stay at night."

"My dogs?"

"Um… yeah. Your dogs."

The young woman blinked her violet eyes at him. "They're our dogs. This is like… the start of our family. Cinnamon and I have lived with you and Mokuba for a year and a half, and we decided to adopt Clove together."

Seto stared at her for a moment. For once, the dogs were both quiet, Clove lying curled against Kaiba and Cinnamon resting against Miyuki's stomach. Finally, the brunet grumbled, "Well, when you say it like that, I guess their beds should stay in here."

"I wasn't going to move them."

"I know," he sighed. "Wanna drop them off with their uncle? I'm sure they'd love to spend some time with the extended family."

The auburn haired woman smiled widely and said, "I don't want them to see what's going on in there."

"Innocent eyes and all that," said Seto glumly. "We're going to have to go back to morning quickies while they eat their breakfast or something."

She smirked playfully and said, "I'll make time for you, don't worry. Only a few more nights working late and I should be sufficiently ahead on my dissertation. Then we'll have to retroactively-"

"I'm holding you to that," Seto interrupted. "It's been two weeks."

"Thirteen days, actually," she corrected with another smirk. "You aren't the only one feeling the effects of our different schedules."

"Alright. Friday, we're going to go out for dinner, and then the dogs are going to watch a movie or some shit so their parents can get some damn alone time."

Miyuki didn't miss how he had changed to take ownership of their dogs, and smiled. "Sounds like a plan. We may have to get them going on a movie marathon though."

Seto couldn't help the low growl of approval that rumbled in his chest. Miyuki laughed, then had to stifle a yawn. Sapphire eyes softened and he said, "You're tired, and so am I. We should sleep."

She nodded her agreement. "Cinnamon, Clove, come on. Beds."

"They can stay if they want," Seto said casually. "Just tonight, though. I'm feeling generous."

The dogs simply watched their owners, deciding that they didn't actually have to move from their spots on the bed. Miyuki smiled softly and said, "Good night, Seto. I love you."

"Love you, too."

She leaned over the furry bodies nestled between them, placing a tender kiss on his lips before settling back down. Exhausted from working so much, it didn't take her long to fall asleep. Seto couldn't hold back a small smile as he began to drift off, his little family beside him.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! All favorites, follows and reviews are sincerely appreciated. I'm toying with the idea of adding just one more chapter about the interview. I have some ideas rolling around in my head for things they would share about their relationship when talking to a magazine reporter. Please let me know if this is something you'd like to see! I've marked this story complete, but will definitely add if there's interest.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you nervous?"

"Very."

"Don't be; I've done interviews with Kana Nashi before and she's really great."

Miyuki hummed thoughtfully, but still looked apprehensive. Kaiba frowned and said, "Would you rather I take the reins on this?"

"No," she shook her head, auburn locks tumbling over her shoulders from the movement. "I can't run away from the limelight forever. It's a big part of your life, and I need to learn how to navigate it."

Seto had to smile at her, ever the sensible woman he fell for. The couple was seated in an interview room having just finished posing for photos that would be printed alongside the article about their engagement. He was happy that the hair and makeup staff had followed Miyuki's simple preferences. Her hair fell in beachy waves around her face and she looked like the natural beauty she was with neutral makeup. She wore black skinny jeans, a white sleeveless blouse and a red blazer. A thin gold chain hung around her neck and a black feather hung from it. On her feet was a pair of black peep toe Louboutin's, one of the expensive gifts he'd given her that she had been genuinely happy to accept. He was grateful to have found her vice – designer shoes. It made future gift giving a much easier prospect.

"You look great," he mentioned, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said absently.

The young CEO gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It was then that the door open and an attractive blonde woman entered the room. She extended her hand, greeting, "Hello, Mr. Kaiba, a pleasure to see you again. And I'm glad to meet the future Mrs. Kaiba, of course!"

Seto and Miyuki stood and greeted the reporter, shaking hands, before all three sat back down. The blonde smiled and asked, "Shall we just jump right into it?"

"That would be best," Kaiba nodded.

"Excellent. Let me just set up my recorder," she said, fiddling with a small grey device. "There. Alright. So firstly, congratulations on your engagement!"

"Thank you," Kaiba nodded.

"Who asked who?"

Miyuki smiled and said, "It was less a question than it was he suggested it to me, and I obviously agreed."

Kana laughed and said, "So I won't be getting a story about an elaborate proposal? I won't be writing any jokes about how you may be the only person who could bring one of the most powerful businessmen in the world to his knee?"

"No, but I'm happy that's the case. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect proposal."

"That's interesting; many women would be arguably disappointed."

"An elaborate, romantic proposal wouldn't have fit Seto. The way it happened was true to who he is. I fell in love with him, so I'm glad that he remained true to himself in how he proposed rather than going with tradition."

Seto couldn't help but smile at her words. They optimized why he fell for her.

"Have you picked a date?"

"We have," he confirmed. "It will be in the spring of next year. For privacy reasons, we won't be making public the exact date."

The reporter nodded and made a note in her small memo book. "Was this a long time coming? I did some digging and the first photo of you two was published in a tabloid about two years ago. However, if I know you, , you certainly could have assured your privacy for a long time before that."

"We've been dating for three and a half years, but have known each other for five," Kaiba supplied.

"And how did you meet?"

"We very literally ran into each other at a coffee shop," Miyuki answered with a laugh.

"How did your relationship develop from there? Most people would've probably been peeved, shrugged it off, and never seen the other person again."

Kaiba smirked and said, "She caught my attention in a way that wouldn't allow me to forget her."

He glanced at Miyu and his smirk grew, seeing the heat bloom on her cheeks.

"Oh?" asked Kana, clearly hoping for more details.

"Yes. I told her to watch where she was going and I believe her exact words were 'Maybe you should buy yourself a new pair of eyes, you rich asshole.'"

"Oh my," Kana laughed. "That would certainly leave an impression. So how did you go from insults to…?"

"Well, we continued to argue and in the heat of the moment I may have bet him that he couldn't be a decent human being for an entire day. So we spent a day together and I lost the bet. We were friends after that."

"About a year and a half later, I realized that my feelings had changed over time, so I asked her out," Kaiba said.

"Was there any particular moment for either of you when you realized that you'd found The One?"

The couple sat in silent thought for a moment before Miyuki spoke up. "I knew pretty early on, to be honest. It's rather common knowledge that Seto is a very tough, cold guy who can be ruthless in the business and dueling worlds. So I guess that when I started seeing the real Seto, someone that hardly anyone can say they've seen, I knew. If I had to pick one moment, though, I'd say it was on the day Seto opened his second Duel Academy. Watching him interact with the kids and knowing how many late nights he worked to make everything perfect for them… I just knew."

If Kaiba had been a more emotionally open man, he would have blushed. Instead, he placed a hand on her knee and squeezed appreciatively. "I actually remember the moment I realized that Miyu was who I wanted to spend my life with. It was the first time I spent the night at her apartment. We had gone out for dinner and then she invited me back to her place for coffee. We talked for a long while, and when we finally realized the time, she insisted I spend the night. I was a bit apprehensive; women had historically tried using such situations to try to get me in bed. It should come as no surprise that I don't warm up to people quickly, especially when it comes to personal space. But she disappeared into her bathroom and came back out in sweatpants and a hoodie, and then got right into bed. I knew she was different, and actually cared about me rather than my celebrity status."

Kana smiled and replied, "That's great. Now, Miyuki, how has it been, transitioning from…" She glanced down at her notebook for reference, "A research lab assistant and student to the romantic partner of one of the most successful businessmen in the world?"

"Well, it hasn't been a transition," Miyu answered with a frown. "It's just another role in my life. It's sometimes hard; Seto is obviously an incredibly busy person and I am also really busy with my job and dissertation. But we've both had to adjust. I've had to learn how to navigate business galas, and Seto has had to learn how to navigate academic conferences. Our relationship is a give and take partnership as much as anyone else's."

Kaiba looked at his fiancée, ever proud that she didn't stand for people belittling her in their comparison to him. He loved that she had always seen them as being on equal footing and that she hammered that home in others, too. His fame and wealth didn't make him any more extraordinary than her.

"Are your families excited about the engagement?"

"Mokuba is ecstatic; he already sees Miyu as an older sister. Plus, he's glad I'm not going to be a bachelor forever," Kaiba smirked.

Miyuki chuckled at him, then answered, "My family is happy and supportive."

"Now, I do have a couple of toughr questions," Kana warned. "Will there be a prenup?"

Miyuki turned to look at Seto; she hadn't even thought about that, and they hadn't discussed it. He laughed and replied, "No, there won't be a prenup."

The auburn haired woman placed her hand on top of his on her knee, squeezing it. He knew she had absolutely no interest in his money, and to hear him laugh at the idea that she might be was reassuring. His trust in her had her chest tightening; precious few people earned it, and she was lucky enough to be one.

Kana looked surprised by his answer, and paused for a moment. Recovering, she continued, "I also want to address speculation that has surfaced in the news. As I'm sure you're both aware, many people are wondering if this marriage is for strategic purposes. Is there any truth to this?"

"Absolutely not," Kaiba said firmly. "Why would I invest several years of my life in someone if all I wanted was a wife on my arm at appearances or a woman to consort with other business wives at events? I could have found someone years ago if that were the case.

"And while we're on the topic of gossip from trash tabloids, there has been a lot of talk about her engagement ring. The ring I picked out is one that I thought suited Miyu. I would have loved to get her a 20 carat diamond or something like, but that isn't her taste."

"I genuinely have very simple tastes," Miyuki asserted. "A huge, multi-million dollar ring would have actually been upsetting, because it would mean Seto doesn't know me at all."

Kaiba added, "Within the first few months of our relationship, it became clear to me that Miyu wasn't dating me for my money. Extravagant dates made her uncomfortable and she was just as happy going to a five star restaurant as she was getting takeout and watching movies in pajama pants. That's why we work; she has never wanted my money or fame. That's also why we don't need to bother with a prenup."

"I just don't care about those things," Miyu added. "I'm happy with the life I live and don't know what I would possibly do with any amount of wealth. All that matters to me is that being with Seto makes me the happiest I've ever been. And, not that I foresee this ever happening, but if for some terrible reason we do split, I sure as hell wouldn't want his money in my pocket to remind me that I've somehow lost my other half."

Kana laughed and said, "Off the record, you have found a different one, Mr. Kaiba. You're truly lucky."

"I am," he agreed, looking at Miyuki with a small smile. She responded by worming her hand beneath his on her knee and lacing their fingers together.

"Can we expect to see any young Kaibas in the near future?"

"Not in the too near future," Miyu chuckled. "I have a dissertation to finish."

"Eventually, we hope to be lucky enough to have kids," Kaiba added. "But I wouldn't ask Miyu to be the only present parent, so it will take time for me to make arrangements in the company that will allow me the be there less and at home more. And by that, I don't mean I intend to step down."

"No, he'll rule with an iron-fist from the comfort of home," Miyu jested.

"Does he not already?" Kana asked with a laugh, though Kaiba could tell that she was secretly hoping for some deeper, juicier insight.

Miyuki saw through it and replied coolly, "Like I said before, we're a partnership."

Kana's lips thinned into a line momentarily, irritated and disappointed, before she smiled again. "Last question, then. Where's the honeymoon?"

"We haven't decided yet," Miyuki admitted. "I'd love to go to Italy, but Seto is team Kaiba private island."

"Actually, I'm team Let's Do Both," he corrected with a smirk.

"Sure, sure, and you can explain to my boss why I need so much time off," she teased.

He shrugged and said, "I'm sure a donation to the lab from your fiancé could convince him."

Kana laughed at their banter and thanked them for their time. The couple left soon after. They climbed into Kaiba's white Lamborghini Veneno, the newest car in his collection, and set off towards home. He glanced at Miyuki and said, "You did really well."

"It was easy with you there," she said with a warm smile.

They came to a stop at an intersection and he turned to look at her. In a rare moment of openness, he said earnestly, "I love you, Miyu. More than I thought possible. Thanks for dealing with all of the things that come along with my lifestyle."

"I'd do anything for you, Seto. I love you, too."

"Anything?" he smirked. "So you'll stop doing your own laundry and drive my-"

"Well, almost anything."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows I have received on this story! I originally intended for this to be a two shot, but then I was struck with inspiration and there seemed to be some interest in more,so here it is. Hope you enjoyed!


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